Society | May 04

Japan devises first homegrown PCR tests for Indian COVID strain

Shimadzu, the Japanese company known for measuring instruments, has developed what is thought to be Japan's first domestically made PCR testing reagents for the potentially more virulent COVID-19 variant detected in India, with plans for a release as early as June.

A step called nucleic acid extraction is eliminated, reducing the chances of error and halving the wait time to around an hour.

The new reagent detects the L452R mutation, which is found in the Indian and California variants and characterized by an alteration at amino acid position 452 in a protein of the virus.

Shimadzu is also set to become on Thursday one of the first Japanese companies to sell reagent kits detecting the N501Y mutation found in the U.K., South Africa and Brazil variants. The company has established a system for mass-producing the reagents, developed in March. This capacity allows for producing enough to cover 10,000 tests a month. Reagents for 100 tests will cost 230,000 yen ($2,110).

These reagent kits will be sold to epidemiology testing laboratories, not health care institutions, because samples that test positive are checked for the presence of any variants by testing labs.


MORE Society NEWS

Currently, there's a rapid increase in individuals suffering from "spring fatigue." You might be affected without even realizing it.

The emergence of the Gifu butterfly, a harbinger of spring, has commenced once again this year in Fukuchiyama City, Kyoto Prefecture.

During a visit to Mie Prefecture, Princess Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, immersed herself in the rich tapestry of Japan's past at a museum within the sacred precincts of Ise Shrine on Wednesday morning.

POPULAR NEWS

Somei Yoshino cherry trees are on the verge of full bloom in Tokyo, with forecasts indicating that the blossoms could be officially declared anytime. However, there is a risk of spring storms developing through Friday.

Seven-Eleven have extended the expiry date of its hand-rolled onigiri (rice balls), including salmon, plum, kelp, spicy cod roe, and tuna mayonnaise varieties.

The Japanese government finalized a new strategy on Wednesday aimed at the development of next-generation domestic aircraft, including initiatives for eco-friendly aviation technologies.

During a visit to Mie Prefecture, Princess Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, immersed herself in the rich tapestry of Japan's past at a museum within the sacred precincts of Ise Shrine on Wednesday morning.

As housing prices continue to surge in Japan's capital, a phenomenon known as "Escape from Tokyo" is seeing families with children moving out of Tokyo to neighboring prefectures such as Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba.

FOLLOW US